The purpose of this royal decree is twofold: a first part aims to improve knowledge and skills regarding safe working on a temporary or mobile construction site by introducing a basic safety training course.
The second part aims at better communication on the construction site. To this end, the safety and health plan must contain a number of rules regarding verbal and non-verbal communication on the construction site.
Since 2022, this training has already been mandatory for all employees in PC 124. As of April 15, 2023, this obligation has been extended to other sectors:
- Employees PC111
- Employees PC145
- Employees PC149
The legislation on basic safety training came into effect on April 15, 2023, and is being rolled out in phases to ensure that everyone covered by the new legislation can complete this training in time.
- Those who have never worked on a construction site must first be enabled to follow this basic safety training and acquire the necessary knowledge.
- Those who are already working on a construction site must then be enabled to follow this basic safety training. They have a period of one year to acquire the necessary knowledge. This period ends on April 15, 2024.
Source: Royal Decree of April 7, 2023, establishing basic safety training for temporary or mobile construction sites and improving communication on temporary or mobile construction sites, Official Gazette April 14, 2023.
Basic safety training | Federal Public Service Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue (belgie.be)
1. Training
- At least 8 hours
- Repeat at regular intervals (unless the employer can demonstrate that employees' knowledge remains current through regular or continuous training, information provision, and practical experience)
Who must attend the training?
- The employees of a contractor
- Employers who carry out a professional activity on the construction site themselves
- Self-employed persons performing work on the construction site
Exception
The safety training does not have to be followed if the employee, employer or self-employed person:
- Holds a certificate showing that they have acquired the necessary knowledge by following another training course (e.g., VCA certificate)
- Or can demonstrate that they have acquired at least 5 years of experience in the past 10 years by performing work on a temporary or mobile construction site.
This training does not replace any other mandatory specific training courses (e.g., job-specific training such as for asbestos removers, operating mobile work equipment, ...)
2. Communication
A safety and health plan must be drawn up. This plan describes information about risks and preventive measures, instructions, and agreements for everyone working on the construction site. The employer must check whether all employees have understood the information and agreements.
Extra attention is necessary in a multilingual environment.
